What a Difference a Day Makes!
Debby DeStefano
Hebrews 4:14-16
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
I read this story and was reminded how true this can be in our own lives.
The story of a parakeet named Chippie reminds me of the pressures and unexpected circumstances we can face in life. Chippie never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over. The problem began when Chippie's owner decided to clean Chippie's cage with her vacuum cleaner. It was when she turned to answer the phone that Chippie accidentally got sucked in.
The owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie-still alive, but stunned. She grabbed him and raced to the bathroom to wash him off. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air. Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.
A few days after the trauma, a reporter contacted Chippie's owner to see how the bird was recovering. "Well," she replied, "Chippie doesn't sing much anymore-he just sits and stares."
What a difference one day, one phone call, one pink slip, one health report, etc. can make. We may start our day out singing on our perch and by the end of the day will have lost our song and just sit and stare. Each of us have experienced those life-changing moments. It’s not so much the events that change us, but our response to these events. God never promised us that everything in our Christian walk would be smooth; that we would skip through life without any detours, accidents, or road blocks. I’m sure when Chippie was sitting high on his perch, everything was great in his little birdy world. Little did he know what was ahead.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
The mountain tops are awesome and wonderful in our lives, aren’t they? I’d be the first one to raise my hand and say, “yes, I love it up there.” God wants us to rejoice in them and bask in His blessings, but our strength comes when we are down in that valley and totally dependent on His power and strength to get us out. If we never had trials our trust muscles would never get exercised and strengthened and the slightest storm or trial would knock us down. We don’t like to think about it or admit it, but isn’t it true that our strength becomes stronger by having gone through the hard times? Sometimes we think when everything is going great that we are somehow partly responsible for that and pat ourselves on the back. Pride sets in. We need to learn to trust God and give HIM the praise for both times although I know how hard it is sometimes when you are in the depths of despair and pain. That’s when our faith is put to the test. Will you pass or fail?
Proverbs 27:1
is so true.
“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”
Thank the Lord we have a God as it says in the verses above Who is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” He knows what we are going through and only He can give the comfort and guidance that we so desperately need.
1 Peter 5:7 says,
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
God loves us and He wants to help us. We just need to learn to hand it all over to Him and then the hard part is LEAVING it there. Then unlike Chippie, we can get back up on our perch and sing our hearts out in praise to the Lord acknowledging that He alone is our strength.
And a verse that always encourages my heart.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
About the Author
Debby, the daughter of our church founder, has dedicated her life to serving God at Fairwinds Baptist Church. Now a retired pastor's wife, she continues to inspire us with uplifting devotionals, choosing joy despite her health struggles. Her unwavering faith enriches our community and reflects our mission to know God through Jesus Christ.
